Nights Better Left Forgotten
by Aszii
Summary: Some nights are just better left forgotten. Second part to "A Night To Remember". Delving into the lives of the troupe after Noah's Ark Circus disbanded and Ciel and Alois' relationship with the conflicts they encounter. Includes a very jealous Doll and some others.
1. Prologue

It was one of _those_ nights, one of those nights which would be better left forgotten.

It was one of those nights where Doll would lay awake in her bed, staring up at the canvas roof of her tent.

She would toss and turn in bed, plagued with dreams of cherished memories of times past and thinking about only one boy, the only boy who completely captivated her thoughts.

_Jim Macken._

Doll missed the blonde terribly, wishing that things didn't have to be the way they were.

She knew that she shouldn't complain, she knew she was being selfish but she just couldn't help it.

The girl knew exactly where said boy was tonight - sleeping in a luxurious bed at the Phantomhive manor.

Instead of sleeping, however, Jim was locked in an embrace with Ciel Phantomhive as they shared a passionate kiss.

Their relationship had started with a surprising kiss that the Earl had graced the blonde with, and it had only escalated since.

The blonde had been moved from the guest room to an empty room just down the hall from the Earl's. It was far bigger and far better decorated than the last one, with a big window and a beautiful view of the estate's grounds.

"Jim..." The breathy tone of Ciel's voice sent shivers down the blonde boy's spine.

Opening his eyes, Jim looked into the unmistakable blues of the Phantomhive boy. A small smile graced his lips as he looked up at his companion; never in his entire life had he felt so in love...the feeling was wonderful.

However, the feeling was short-lived once he felt the buttons being undone on his shirt. He felt the panic settle in much like it used to, and the boy pushed Ciel off of him so he could bolt out of the room.

"Jim!" The Earl quickly followed after the blonde, feeling terrible for making such an advance without thinking about the other boy's feelings first.

It was one of _those_ nights, one of those nights which would be better left forgotten.

It was one of those nights where Jim would hide, curled up in the bathtub while the unwanted memories swirled around in his head.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

**So I just wrote this up quickly to (1) make up for my absence and (2) give you guys an idea of what to expect with this part.**

**It's completely different from "A Night To Remember" which is why I split this into more than one story.**

**I don't want to give away too much (and it's also 4:30AM), so I'll leave it here.**

**Follows, favourites, and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Until next time,**

**~ Aszii**


	2. Chapter One: Love Will Eat You Alive

"Mister Jim...sir...? Please wake up!"

The distant yet familiar voice woke the blonde boy from his slumber, and he opened his eyes to see two blurry figures above him. "Hmm?" His voice was hoarse, but his eyes began to focus on the Phantomhive maid and gardener who stood over him.

"You've been asleep in the tub all night, you have!" Mey-Rin was completely on edge as she stared down at the boy that lay in the bathtub, worried about what Sebastian would say once he found out that Jim had slept in such a place.

"Let's get you out of there!" Finnian looked worried as he leaned down towards the boy. "I'm going to help you up, alright?"

Jim nodded, and the young man looped his arms under the boy's underarms and lifted him from the tub before setting him down on the marble floor.

As the Macken boy struggled to find his footing, - shaky on his legs that had been crammed into the tub all night - the gardener and maid rushed forward to help him.

"I'm fine..." Jim held his hand up to stop the pair as they approached him.

"Are you sure, Mister Jim?" Finnian tilted his head to the side, the worried look still plastered to his face.

"Of course." Nodding, the blonde boy gave the young man a reassuring smile. "I sure am hungry, though."

Jim knew that breakfast had to be on the table by that point in time, so it was the perfect way to get the servants off the topic.

"Ah! Yes, of course, sir!" Mey-Rin nodded, taking the boy's hand before pulling him along.

* * *

Ciel was already at the table by the time Jim made it to the dining room; he was eating breakfast prepared by none other than his extremely competent butler and enjoying a cup of Earl Grey tea.

"How are you feeling?" The young Earl asked as the blonde took his place beside him. If the boy had looked closer, he would have seen the concerned expression on his companion's face.

"Perfectly fine." The Macken boy nodded, his tone soft. "Did you sleep well?"

A filled teacup was placed in front of Jim. "I found the young Master asleep against the lavatory door and took him to bed." Sebastian spoke in a somewhat unimpressed tone.

Neither boy responded, both staring down at the plates filled with food in front of them.

The silence continued on as the two began to eat, and it was Ciel who broke the silence with, "By the way, Jim...Elizabeth will be visiting later today."

Dropping his fork, the Macken boy nodded. "Understood.

It was silent again after that as the Earl continued with his meal, with Jim staring at his own. The blonde's appetite had gone along with his hope of a nice day with the boy he was so fond of.

Ciel stood up, and Jim saw that his plate had been cleared. Realizing he must have finished it while the Macken boy was lost in his thoughts, the boy stared at the forgotten fork beside his plate filled with delicious looking food.

"Aren't you going to eat?" The Phantomhive boy eyed his companion's meal still sitting on the plate, and knew that he couldn't have taken more than a bite or two at most.

Jim shook his head. "I'm not all that hungry."

"If you say so..." The Earl nodded before he turned on his heel, walking to the entrance of the dining room and then exiting.

The blonde boy stood and followed after Ciel, making his way out of the dining room and up the stairs to where he knew the young Earl would be.

The door to the study was open, granting Jim the access he needed. When he entered, he saw that Ciel was now seated behind his desk and leafing through a stack of important-looking papers.

"Listen..." Jim started, closing the door behind him before approaching the desk cautiously. "I wanted to apologize for last night...I just-"

Ciel held his hand up to cut off the boy, shaking his head. "No need to apologize, Jim. It is completely fine."

The boy lowered his gaze, staring at the floor and finding it rather interesting in that moment.

"Now, come here and we can continue what we were working on yesterday." Standing from his chair, the Phantomhive boy gestured for the blonde to come over.

Doing as he was told, the Macken boy made his way behind the desk and sat down. As he did so, Ciel took a blank sheet of paper and a pen and set it down in front of him. "First, we'll start with some more writing."

The Earl had been helping Jim with his reading and writing since the boy had started living at the manor. The blonde hadn't had much experience - only a lesson or two back at the Trancy estate, and it had been so long ago that the knowledge had left his mind.

He watched as Ciel's hand drifted across the sheet so effortlessly, watched as the beautiful words that were only somewhat familiar to Jim appeared on the previously blank paper.

As the lesson continued on, Jim could feel Ciel's body constantly inch closer to his as the Earl leaned over to show him some writing techniques. A light blush danced across the blonde's otherwise pale face, watching the Earl's hand as he wrote out a sentence for Jim to mimic.

"Alright, I want you to try rewriting what I wrote." Ciel pecked the boy's cheek and rubbed his shoulder affectionately, before standing up straight once again.

Jim found himself smiling as he took the pencil from the desk and read over the sentence before trying it for himself. The Earl couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the hand shakily press against and along the paper, trying to form words but not succeeding and only leaving a few scribbles behind.

"Oh? You find this funny?" Jim turned his head to gaze at the Phantomhive boy with a raised eyebrow. "You think _I'm_ bad at writing? You should have seen when Joker tried to teach us."

Ciel tilted his head to the side. "Hm?"

The blonde found himself giggling at the memory. "Being the only one who could read and write, Joker would often teach us and sometimes even the second-stringers...well, he'd try to. We'd never listen to him, and instead would ask him to teach us to write suggestive or inappropriate things like immature children."

"Well, that _would_ make you all quite the 'immature children'...would it not?" A smirk graced the boy's lips, crossing his arms as he stared at Jim.

"I suppose so." Shrugging, Jim laughed.

The pair spent a good two hours up in the office before Sebastian arrived and broke the lighthearted mood.

With a knock on the door, the butler announced that Lady Elizabeth had arrived and was looking for Ciel.

Dropping the pen that he had been holding, the young Earl glanced down at the blonde in the chair.

Jim shrugged, trying to conceal the disappointment on his face. "Go on. It can't be helped."

Pressing a quick kiss to the boy's temple, Ciel made his way towards the study's entrance. He opened the door and was gone within seconds, closing it after him.

Jim sat for a moment, listening to the squeals of excitement that belonged to Lady Elizabeth as Ciel made his way down the stairs to the foyer.

From what the blonde had heard from the servants, the young girl was completely smitten with the Earl - happily devoted in her betrothal.

Rolling his eyes, the boy pushed himself back from the desk and stood up. He made his way towards the entrance of the study, pulled open the door and left the room.

* * *

Elizabeth hung onto Ciel as if he were a lifeline, as if she would fall to her death if she were to let go of him.

This is how their meetings would usually go, and they would end with a sad farewell from Lady Elizabeth.

As the blonde girl spoke about all the things she had wished to tell the Earl, his mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about how he had made a move on Jim, had kissed him despite his betrothal to Elizabeth. Ciel knew it was wrong, but he also knew that he had never felt any love towards the girl.

No, he had felt love towards her, but not in the romantic way he was _supposed_ to.

She was his cousin, so he did love her - but as family.

Jim was different.

The Phantomhive boy was attracted to the boy, had been since the day he met him. From his snarky attitude to his amazing investigative skills, Ciel loved it all.

That's why he had kissed him that day.

That's why he had gone against what was considered 'moral'.

"Ciel! Are you even listening to me?" Blonde curls bounced off of the girl's shoulders as she tilted her head to the side.

"Huh?" Ciel looked at her as he was pulled from his thoughts. "Oh, yes. Of course I am, Elizabeth."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Elizabeth giggled. "Call me Lizzie!"

It was then that the Macken boy caught in Ciel's peripheral vision. Turning his gaze slightly, he saw that the boy was peeking out from behind one of the pillars in the foyer.

The Earl knew that Jim had a scowl on his face without even having to look directly at him.

Ciel could understand how the boy felt, as he remembered how jealous he had been of Doll and Jim together.

He just hoped that Jim understood he had chosen him over Elizabeth.

* * *

Jim had refused to come out of his room to eat dinner with Ciel and Elizabeth.

After a good half hour of the servants - and even Sebastian - attempting to lure the boy out with the promise of making any meal he wanted to eat, they had given up.

When Sebastian returned without the Macken boy, Ciel just rolled his eyes. "I told you that it would be no use. Now our dinner is cold."

"Oh honestly, young Master..." Sebastian shook his head with a sigh. "I had wanted to get Jim acquainted with Lady Elizabeth."

"Jim?" The blonde curls bounced on her shoulders once more as she tilted her head. "Is he a new servant?"

It was at that moment that Ciel had realized that it was probably best Jim hadn't joined them, for that question probably would have costed Elizabeth her head.

Ciel shook his head. "No, he's-"

"A resident." Sebastian finished with a smirk.

Shooting him a look, the Phantomhive boy rolled his eyes. He had wanted to approach the topic differently, but Sebastian had made that impossible with his careless remark.

"_Honestly_?" Elizabeth looked shocked. "There's someone living here who isn't a servant? What kind of relationship do you two share?"

"Friends." Ciel responded, shooing off Sebastian to fetch their dinner. "He aided me greatly in a recent kidnapping case that would have taken far longer without his help. He was living with the Noah's Ark Circus troupe and had nowhere to go once it was disbanded, so I offered him a home here as repayment."

The Earl could tell that Elizabeth wasn't at all impressed with the answer she got. However, further explanation was hindered once Sebastian brought out their meal.

Upstairs, Jim was burning with jealousy as he thought about what he had seen earlier that day.

"Seeing her hang all over Ciel like that was so..._vile_." The boy wrinkled his nose as he spat the last word. "He should just tell her to _get lost_."

Jim had been stomping back and forth in his room, his fists clenched as he muttered ill-disposed insults towards the girl who was currently dining with the Earl, and continued doing so until he caught sight of himself in the mirror. The disheveled boy that stared back at him was anything but worthy enough to be romantically involved with an Earl.

"That's right..." He sighed. "I'm peasant boy Jim Macken...always have been...always will be..." Forcing himself to look away, the Macken boy felt tears burn in his eyes.

What did Ciel even _see_ in him?

A boy that wasn't capable of love with a body so filthy it put harlots to shame.

Surely the Earl would rather have a beautiful girl like Elizabeth by his side, right?

Jim continued to berate himself in the confines of his room, spitting at his own reflection every time he caught sight of it and muttering expressions of disgust in his own self.

* * *

"Goodbye, Ciel! I had such a nice time today." Giggling, the girl gave her cousin one last hug before making her way down the stairs with her maid, Paula.

As Elizabeth entered the carriage, she turned back once more with a wave and said, "I look forward to meeting Jim next time I visit!"

Nodding with his arms crossed, Ciel watched as the carriage began to leave the estate's property.

"Lady Elizabeth seems rather intrigued. She hasn't dropped the topic of Jim since she found out." Sebastian mused.

Shooting a glare at the demon, the Phantomhive boy rose an eyebrow questioningly. "You mean since you blatantly threw the topic out on the table at dinner?"

Chuckling, the demon looked at his young Master with amusement. "My Lord, Lady Elizabeth would have found out sooner or later. Introducing the topic was something that needed to be done."

"_Tch_, so you say...but now I have both Jim _and_ Elizabeth aggravated with me." Shaking his head, the boy turned to reenter the manor, only to be greeted by a certain someone standing just before the entryway.

"Oh, is she gone?" Jim tilted his head to the side with a painfully innocent smile. "What a shame...I seem to have missed her."

"Jim...would it have killed you to at least made an appearance?" Ciel sighed, making his way back into the manor.

"You're making this _my_ fault?" The blonde gasped with apparent dramatization as the shorter boy stopped in front of him. "Ciel, I am _hurt_. I had _no_ idea she had even arrived at the manor!"

"Jim, stop lying to me. You and I both know that you were hiding behind a pillar in the foyer _and_ refused to come out of your room for dinner." The young Earl's tone was serious, and he stared at the taller boy with an unimpressed look on his face. "Now Elizabeth is suspicious, and that only makes things worse for us."

Rolling his eyes, the Macken boy crossed his arms. "And I suppose you didn't bother to tell her that you wanted to end the engagement?"

"Jim..." Sighing, Ciel shook his head. "It isn't that simple."

"Oh? It isn't?" Jim rose an eyebrow. "It's as simple as telling her you aren't happy and want to everything between you and her to end."

"Our parents arranged the marriage, Jim. If I were to just break it off, I would have the entire Midford family after me...not to mention the public - if and when they found out."

The blonde huffed, turning away so he wouldn't have to face the Earl.

"Don't be like that." Ciel rested his hand on Jim's shoulder. "I want to break off the engagement just as much as you want me to...in fact, I have for some time now. However, it's going to take some time, alright? So please, just bear with it for a little longer."

After realizing that he wasn't going to get an answer out of Jim, the Earl leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the boy's cheek. "Why don't I make it up to you?" He asked softly.

Turning to look at Ciel, the boy rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Pleased to see a smile tugging on Jim's lips, the Earl pulled him through the entrance and out into the night.

Sebastian watched with a smirk as the boys made their way out and around the manor, hand in hand - Ciel having to drag Jim somewhat as they did so.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, the demon made his way back inside to continue with his duties as a butler.

* * *

The two boys walked with their fingers interlocked as they made their way through the garden behind the manor. The flowers had closed up now that nighttime had fell upon them, though their fresh scent lingered as the pair made their way towards a white bench that lay seated amongst the garden, and upon arriving, Ciel gestured for Jim to sit down.

Taking the offer, the Macken boy watched as the young Earl sat beside him.

The night sky was clear, and as Jim looked up, he could see that stars dotted the sky and the moon was full.

"I apologize for not making an appearance today, I'd hate for you to be put through hell with Elizabeth on account of my selfishness. It's just that-"

Ciel lifted his hand to stop the boy from speaking any further. "Don't apologize, Jim. I understand how you feel." Chuckling, he looked at the boy that he felt so strongly for. "I felt the same way seeing you and Doll together."

Jim tilted his head to the side. "Me and Doll?"

"You two seemed closer than friends, no?" Ciel responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you _serious_?" The blonde threw his head back as he let out a laugh. "Me and _Doll_? We were just friends! We had a sibling relationship at best!"

"But back at the tent...you said-"

"You think I was serious about her kissing me? She would never..." Wiping a tear from his eye, Jim shook his head with a laugh. "You really are something, Phantomhive... Doll is a pretty girl but I've never seen her as anyone other than a friend or sibling. However, I am happy that you understand how I felt today, and even though I knew you have no romantic feelings towards her...seeing you with her..." He shuddered, looking to the side. "It _hurt_."

"I should be the one apologizing." Ciel rested his hand on Jim's that lay on his thigh, and the blonde turned to look at him. "I know it is only right to break off the engagement, but just give me some time, okay? I need to figure out how I am going to approach the topic."

"I understand." Jim nodded with a small smile, one that was illuminated in the moonlight.

"I'm glad."

Leaning forward, Ciel pressed his lips to Jim's.

As the blonde's eyes fluttered closed, he felt himself being pulled close into that familiar comforting embrace.

One that he wanted to stay in forever.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

**All that drama tho.**

**Doll would kick Jimmy boy in the face if she heard what he said.**

**Don't worry, your favourite troupe makes their grand entrance into this story in the next chapter - with some more drama! But no seriously, despite the fact that Jim and the troupe don't live together anymore, I have planned out the story in such a way that gives both parties an *almost* equal amount of 'story-time'.**

**Does that even make sense?**

**I'm sick, so please be nice. If there are some errors, I'll try to fix them once I'm feeling better. I just really wanted to get this chapter out for you guys...because even though not much happened, it's more of 'set up' chapter for more chapters to come.**

**I've actually written out an entire outline of each chapter, so this story should _hopefully_ be updated quicker than usual (keyword: hopefully).**

**That being said, I am attending Anime North from the 22nd to the 24th and I still have to finish my costumes - so I'm not sure whether or not I'll post another chapter before then...but I'll try my best to!**

**If you wanna stay updated, check out my Instagram profile /aszirialck. I'm on there all the time.**

**Song I was listening to while typing out the chapter: The Star Chorus by LostAlone.**

**Thank you all for the follows, favourites, and lovely reviews!**

**Until next time,**

**~ Aszii**


	3. Chapter Two: Noah's Ark Troupe

"Rise n' shine! We best be out bright n' early t' catch the mornin' traffic."

The voice invaded Doll's otherwise undisturbed state of sleep, and forcing her only eye open, she saw Joker standing in the entrance of her tent.

"Agh, overslept again, did I?" The brunette sat up, yawning and stretching as she did so.

"Not by much, lil' Sis. The others're still gettin' ready, so take yer time." The young man smiled before disappearing from view.

Doll found herself smiling as she threw the blanket away and slung her legs over the bed. Standing up, she made her way over towards her vanity and began to brush the knots from her hair, staring at herself in the mirror as she did so.

Joker had been a lot more caring towards her after what had transpired back at Kelvin's manor. For instance, he would let her sleep in and would always save extra of whatever little food they bought with the money they earned.

After the circus disbanded, the troupe found themselves performing on the streets in order to get by. They had tried to sell whatever extra props or tents they didn't need, but no one seemed interested in their used goods; so in the end, they turned to performing on the streets.

Once dressed in her usual performing attire, Doll exited the tent and made her way to the center of the now almost non-existent circus grounds. The troupe would meet there everyday to take inventory and plan out their performances.

Not having a big tent to perform in like before was very odd, for they had grown so used to that luxury - having been the only performance stage they knew. The troupe also had to cut down on the extravagance of their acts. Fire acts were limited, and trapeze and tightrope walking were completely out of the question. Instead, Peter and Wendy would do acrobatics and Doll would do ballet-based acts. Betty would be placed in a cage each time they went into the city and was extremely unhappy about it. Unbeknownst to anyone but the troupe, the tiger hated it when the crowd would surround her cage and would begin pacing back and forth until her Mistress calmed her. Beast's act was more or less having the tigress do tricks that a common dog would do. However, upon seeing how upset the tiger was, the animal tamer would concede to being an attention-grabber rather than an act.

It was disgusting, having the men ogle her with lecherous eyes. It reminded her far too much of times past, times she would rather forget.

The only acts still suitable for performing were Snake, Dagger, and Joker's.

It was pretty boring compared to what they were used to, but they did what they had to in order to get by.

Though their situation was less than desirable, there was an air to the troupe that was more lighthearted and..._free_. They were happy and ever so grateful to still be together, to be living free with one another without death or confinement for their crimes.

Joker still wondered at times whether or not living on was the right choice for him and his family, but Beast would usually be the one to knock those thoughts out of his head.

The troupe wouldn't admit it, but they were proud of Beast's advance to take leadership over Joker. They knew that the young man was exhausted and hurt, torn from what Kelvin had put him through. They knew that Beast was strong and would lead them to a better life, and knew that maybe their big brother would be able to stand by her side once again in the future.

"Oi, Betty! Get in the cage, we gotta get goin'!" Beast let out an exasperated sigh as she stood up straight, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Want me t' try, Big Sis?" Dagger was by her side, looking at the tigeress, who was curled up by her Mistress' feet.

"Nah."

Walking up to the pair, Doll looked down at the clearly unhappy and underfed tiger.

They were all quite unhappy and underfed now that their financial aid was gone.

"Why dontcha jus' leave 'er here for the day?" The tightrope walker asked, kneeling down to stroke the tigress' head.

"That's outta the question." Beast shook her head. "Like I told ye before, Doll, we gotta stick together...all o' us. I don't wanna see any o' us get hurt, n' that goes fer Betty as well."

"Yer right." Doll nodded with a sigh.

"I say leave 'er! Tie 'er to a tree 're somethin', she won't go anywhere." Peter scoffed, walking towards them with Wendy following behind him.

Beast rose an eyebrow, her arms crossed in front of her. "Why don't I jus' tie ye to a tree instead?"

Rolling his eyes, the short man gazed at the tiger. "All she does is cause trouble. It'd be best just to leave 'er here fer today. She ain't done nothin' fer days anyway, probably on 'er last breath n'-"

"Oh? And ye don't cause trouble, ye lil' twerp?! We should leave ye here instead!" Beast narrowed her eyes as she turned to glare at Peter, balling her fists so hard that her knuckles went white. "She ain't dyin'! She's jus' tired n' starvin' like the rest o' us!"

"Sis." Joker rested his prosthetic hand on the young woman's white knuckles.

Doll could see the fear in her big sister's eyes; she knew that Beast would never admit to fearing for her tiger's life.

"T'is fine, it is." Beast sighed, unclenching her fists as she turned to look at Joker. "Let's get Betty into the cage n' then get movin'."

His gaze was different, had been since the moment of Kelvin's betrayal...yet he was still a peacemaker amongst the troupe.

Maybe Beast had doubted him too much.

After struggling some more with the tiger, Beast had finally gotten her into the cage.

They began their journey into the town, Beast and Joker leading the way while Jumbo brought up the rear, hauling the rolling cage effortlessly behind him.

As they entered the town and took residence at their usual spot on the side of the street, sounds of excited children filled their ears.

"It's them! The circus troupe!"

"Come on, let's get a good spot!"

"Don't push me! There's more than enough room for all of us!"

Doll smiled at the grinning children as she helped her siblings set up for their performance that day. She was happy to see the familiar faces, happy that they enjoyed watching them.

Once finished with set up, the troupe took their respective places and Joker moved to the front - where a crowd had already begun to form.

"Good mornin'! We be the Noah's Ark Troupe, performin' at this very spot each and every day! We've got an amazin' show fer ye all t' enjoy!" Kneeling down, Joker smiled at a familiar girl - one who seemed to never miss a show. "I see some familiar faces in the crowd, n' I can't tell ye how happy I am that 'cha enjoy us!" Spinning his wand, Joker made flowers appear and handed them to the little girl.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as Joker pushed the flowers into her hands.

Standing back up, the young man ran through his usual introductions and then the show began.

The starvation quickly began to settle in as their performance continued on. The troupe didn't know how long they had gone without a proper meal, but they knew that it was far too long to possibly be anywhere near healthy.

Looking at the box that had been set up for tips, Beast knew that there was hardly enough money for a proper meal for each of them...which meant they'd either have to continue, or pack up and walk to a more crowded location before it got too late.

Looking around at her family, the animal tamer could see the exhaustion that plagued them due to the starvation. They sat down in various places, trying to catch their breath or otherwise.

She knew that they needed a rest, if even for a few minutes.

Turning back to the crowd, Beast saw that it was currently dissipating.

No. She couldn't have that.

Stepping forward to the centre of their makeshift stage, Beast quickly unravelled the whip from her hip and cracked it down in front of her.

The rest of the troupe snapped their tired gazes up to rest on their big sister, surprised at her actions.

"Oi! Where're ye all goin'?! Yer gonna leave before the main act?!" Beast was satisfied with her work, seeing the crowd reforming around her - all with wide eyes and intrigued expressions. A smirk graced her features as she gestured at the cage behind her. "Me n' Betty, we gotta special show fer ye." Turning to walk towards the cage, the young woman was stopped by a catcall.

"'Ey, why dontcha give us a show, pretty? Couldn't care less about the cat!"

Beast turned to look at a short man with a big gut. Instantly feeling her blood boil, she narrowed her eyes.

Waving his hands in front of himself, almost apologetically, the man said, "I'll give ya extra for your time, lady. Enough for your whole troupe!"

That stopped Beast dead in her tracks.

Was this really what she had to do in order to get a proper meal for her family...?

Would she really stoop to that low of a level again...?

Beast felt her legs move under her, slowly making her way to the man.

Maybe just once.

Just once.

Just enough to feed her family.

She was snapped out of it when she heard the shouts of her name from her siblings.

That was when she felt hands on her shoulders, and she turned slightly to see that she hadn't been moving by herself. In fact, she was being forced to move forward towards the disgusting man who had made the offer.

"Yer a pretty one, ain't ya?" The man who held her spoke into her ear in a low, husky voice. His hand moved down to rest on her thigh, feeling her shake under him. "Ah ah ah, no need to be scared, darlin'."

"I ain't scared...I'm bloody well pissed!" Beast gripped her whip in her hand, spinning to try and strike the her captor.

She was in shock when the man gripped her wrist and pushed her forward once more. He was stronger than he looked, just like...

No.

"'Ey! Get away from Big Sis!" Dagger shouted and the animal tamer snapped her head to see the angry face of the knife thrower, reaching for his knives that rested on his belt.

"Everyone in this _filthy_ troupe had better stay _right_ where they are, or the girl dies!"

Beast turned to see that Doll was being held by another man, a knife pressed to her neck and a terrified look in her eye.

"Wouldn't wanna stain this pretty 'lil outfit red, would we?" Licking his lips, the man pressed the tip into the delicate skin.

The animal tamer watched in horror as blood began to bead, watched as the man licked it away and as her little sister shivered in disgust.

"Don't move!" She warned the others, who had all been ready to spring into action - even Peter. Sighing, she turned her gaze to the man who held her. "Whatcha want?" She asked softly. "What'll it take t' keep ye away from me lil' Sis?"

"Well first, we're gonna take the loot." The man gestured to another, who eagerly moved forward to put the troupe's earnings into an old satchel.

As he did so, Beast felt lips press to the side of her neck and she shivered and disgust as the hated man's voice filled her ears. "And as for you, we're gonna take ya to our place fer a lil' while, okay?"

Shuddering, the animal tamer sighed, "Just don't hurt any o' me family."

The man chuckled, pushing Beast further away from her original spot and in the direction he so desired.

"I apologize, but do you not think it is a little rude to interrupt a performance?"

That familiar voice was enough to snap the young woman out of her fear.

As much as she hated to admit it, Beast knew that her and her family would be safe - that they would have their earnings back and she wouldn't have to go through with anything in order to keep them safe.

The man clad in black easily swiped the satchel from the crook before making his way towards the man that held Doll. "Hurting an innocent girl, how cowardly." With a simple flick of the wrist, he sent the girl's captor flying backwards.

Turning to face his main target, those crimson eyes settled upon the same hue. "My lady, shall I free you from that criminal's arms?" A smirk as he pulled out his preferred weapons and stepped towards the pair. "I do believe he must be punished for defiling both you and your family."

Shock filled the woman's mature features, stretching across her face as she gazed at the familiar butler. "I-"

The hands left her body. "I ain't want no trouble!" The man shouted, raising his hands above his head and waving them in surrender.

"You asked for trouble the moment you put your hands on her." The man clad in black rose the silverware above him and Beast felt something flutter in her chest at the man's words.

She knew they were but mere whispers of a demon...

How foolish of her to even allow herself to react in such a way.

Snapped out of her thoughts by the cutlery landing just in front of the crook's feet, Beast heard Sebastian's voice once more. "However, I shall spare you this once...but just because my Master told me not to cause a scene." He smirked as he watched the crook and his friends flee the scene.

"Thank ye." Joker looked up at Sebastian as he pulled himself to his feet, turning only to help Dagger up.

"No need for any thanks." Sebastian placed his hand over his chest and bowed. "I was simply given the order by my young Master."

"Tch. It was Jim who begged me to give the order." Ciel appeared beside his butler, a familiar blonde trailing behind him.

Chuckling, the butler nodded. "Well I do suppose it _was_ Mister Macken who brought the situation to our attention.

"Blondie!" Dagger shouted with a cheery smile before he began to make his way over to the boy.

"T'as been forever, it has! How've ye been?" Joker smiled, following behind the knife thrower.

Jim opened his mouth to speak, but he felt his voice catch in his throat.

Looking around at the troupe and their set up, he noticed just how much they were struggling to survive.

Everyone was much thinner than they had been, underweight and frail looking. Their 'stage' was nothing more than a few props and a cage with the sickly-looking Betty laying on her side within the bars.

He could not stop the tears from clouding his vision as those from his former family made their way towards him.

Maybe there was still time to use the wish...

Maybe he could summon the demon to grant the troupe fortune and a place to live.

"Ye really saved us there, y'know?" Beast confessed, scratching the back of her neck with her fishnet-gloved hand. "Thanks tons, Jim."

"I-" Jim swallowed down his tears before looking up at her with a nod. "Of course." A smile. "I just couldn't sit back and watch you all get hurt. You are all still my...I mean, I still care greatly about you all."

"We appreciate it." Jumbo nodded. "It means a lot to know that we can still count on you."

Wendy tried to say something as well, but Peter covered her mouth with his hand. He pulled her backwards and whispered something in her ear; all the while looking at Jim with that same, bitter expression which he had become so familiar with.

"It is nice to see that _you_ haven't changed, Peter. Even _after_ I've saved you _twice_ now." Jim spoke in an sickeningly sarcastic tone, sharing an icy gaze with the small man.

With a scowl, the trapeze artist pulled his companion along with him and left the scene.

"Hey bro..."

Jim turned his head to see Doll, standing somewhat back from the rest of the group.

"Hello." He found it hard to speak, but forced out a weak, "How are you doing?" But then instantly regretted asking the question, seeing the conditions in which the troupe had been living.

"I'm...fine." She kicked at the cobblestone road in front of her, keeping her gaze down but her scar - _that_ scar - still clearly visible.

Opening his mouth to say something else, Jim was quickly cut off by Ciel, who stepped forward towards the troupe. "Here." He handed a cloth pouch to Beast. "There is enough in there to get you all a decent dinner tonight, plus some extra. It does look like a storm will be taking place soon, so please don't hesitate to use it for a room at an inn."

A soft smile graced Beast's features, but it was quickly replaced with a small frown. "Thank ye...but Sir Phantomhive, we can't possibly accept it...we haven't done anythin' to deserve such kindness. Ye've already given us so much, so..." The young woman hesitantly handed the pouch back to Ciel...

But he refused to take it, holding his hand up to stop her.

"Think of it as a tip for your performance. You have all been working so hard and have earned such little money." The Earl explained.

"Then, in that case...we humbly accept yer kind gesture, Lord Phantomhive." The animal tamer nodded with a smile.

"Of course." Ciel nodded before turning to look at Jim. "We must be off now, would you like to say goodbye?"

Upon seeing that the blonde was growing increasingly uncomfortable, the Earl took the boy's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Doll instantly noticed this and tried to conceal the displeasure she so desperately wanted to express.

It wasn't fair.

She wanted Jim to be with them...always and forever. They were a family, and they should always stick together no matter what the circumstances.

"Goodbye."

The word was soft-spoken, filled with a certain reluctance.

Jim allowed himself to be pulled alongside Ciel as they made their way from them.

He didn't dare look back.

The troupe watched as the three made their way down the London road and until they were out of sight.

"So, I guess we can call it a day, yeah?" Joker turned to look at Beast. "I mean, there's more than enough fer us to eat for tonight."

"Yer right." The young woman nodded, and then turned to the others. "Let's pack 'er up n' get back home! We're goin' out tonight!"

* * *

It was dark out by the time the troupe was ready to leave. They had all spent an excessive amount of time picking out and dressing in their best clothes, doing their hair and/or makeup, and making sure that every little detail was perfect and they looked presentable.

Beast had placed Betty in her cage once again, this time with a promise of bringing a good meal back with her.

They made their way back into town, deciding on a restaurant that they thought looked the finest.

It was a newer restaurant, not too high-end, but with lively music and friendly employees.

The troupe shared two tables and ordered plates full of bread, meat, potatoes, and other assorted delicacies that they were usually too poor to afford.

Afterwards, they each got a slice of something which some had never really had the pleasure of indulging in: cake.

Doll and Dagger were in a complete state of bliss; the sugary sweetness that filled their senses were unfamiliar, and Beast had to remind them to savor the dessert for they wouldn't taste it again for quite some time.

After the meal, the troupe made their way to the butcher's shop and bought a big steak for Betty.

Deciding that they would be fine in their tents, - what with having lived in them for so many years and through so many storms - the troupe saved the extra money and went back to the old circus grounds.

Doll silently made her way back to her tent, dressing in her casual clothes before laying on the cot she spent so many years in.

Staring up at the familiar canvas roof above her, the brunette let the tears fall freely down her face.

Seeing Jim today had just been another grim reminder that he was living a life of luxury with Ciel.

That in itself wasn't the problem, however...

Doll wanted to be the one by Jim's side once again.

Turning over, the girl pressed her face into her hands, curling her body into fetal position.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Before I get into it, I just want to point out that this chapter was very based around Beast - which I am sure you guys know if you read this chapter - and that is because she plays a bigger role in this part than she did in _A Night To Remember_. (That is not to say the entire work is based around her now, because it isn't...just that this chapter was very heavily based around her and I wanted to explain it a bit without giving away too much.) I also want to state here that I have _completely_ made up her past for the sake of this story. I understand that Beast is a very controversial character in the Kuroshitsuji fandom, but she just so happens to be one of my favourite characters and I don't want to represent her as others see her - so even though the things I hint at may be things that are considered "canon" to her character (which is not the case at all), I want you all to know that I write Beast's character out of pure _love _and _sympathy_. Times were tough when she was young and she had to fend for herself, and THAT is what I wanted to represent now that they are on the streets again. She is such a strong character in certain aspects. She is my favourite Kuroshitsuji character to cosplay and was my favourite costume to make. So as I said before: everything I may write in this work of fiction is purely out of _love_ for Beast's character. I want to _show_ people the deeper levels of her character and _show_ that she isn't just a pretty face or a slut...because some people don't look past the fact that she slept with Sebastian and hate her for it (missing the entire point of that scene), and that isn't okay.**

**I may have rambled on about a fictional character, but this is FANFICTION, is it not? This is all about love for characters and the _entire_ series. So I won't apologize for it.**

**So anyway, into the rest of the note: **

**This was supposed to be up AGES ago. I had literally planned on editing this and posting it on the plane, but the plane's wifi was eight dollars so I then planned on uploading it at the hotel bUT THINGS JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN. I am soooo sorry guys, but I hope I can get back on track soon. The last planned con I have is next week and I've been working on costumes, so after that the updates will be more frequent.**

**I hope you guys are still around even after my delay because I really love posting this story, hearing feedback, and connecting with everyone.**

**You can always find me on my Instagram account: aszirialck.**

**As always, thank you for the follows, favourites, and of course the reviews!**

**Until next time,**

**~ Aszii**


	4. Chapter Three: Two Hearts

The morning routine went as usual.

Jim would be awoken by one of the servants, then force himself from the warm confines of the blankets to bathe and dress himself. He would spend quite some time in front of the vanity, moving the bristles of the hairbrush through his blonde locks. Upon finishing, he would leave the room and make his way downstairs to the magnificent dining room. There, he would usually partake in a delicious breakfast that had been prepared by Sebastian and chat away with Ciel.

They had just finished eating when the Earl stood up and asked Mey-Rin to fetch his coat.

"Are we going somewhere today?" Jim tilted his head to the side.

"To town to buy you some clothing. You cannot keep wearing your other clothes, and we have already ruled out using my clothing as an option." Ciel explained.

The blonde snickered at this, looking at the Phantomhive boy mischievously.

"Don't you even dare, Jim."

The blonde laughed the whole way into town.

* * *

"Will you quit it already? I can barely stand to be in this carriage with you today." Rolling his eyes, Ciel rested his hand on his chin and gazed out the window.

At this, Jim burst out into another laughing fit. "But I cannot even fathom _why_ you thought your clothes would be suitable for me to wear!"

"Yes, I miscalculated the height. Now drop it." The young Earl gave the blonde an unamused look.

Before Jim could say anything else, the carriage door opened and sunlight poured in through the entrance.

Ciel was the first to get out, and the blonde chuckled as he saw the desperation in his step - obviously wanting to get out as soon and as fast as he possibly could.

Jim was poking fun at the boy during their stroll down the London street, Sebastian following behind them with an amused look on his face.

Ciel only knew something was wrong when his rather annoying companion stopped joking around and just stood still with a distressed look on his face; following his gaze, the young Earl realized what had been so upsetting.

The troupe had turned to performing on the streets, and it seemed as though they were currently the targets of a crime.

"Ciel." Jim turned to the Phantomhive, clearly snapped out of his shocked daze and panicked as he grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Please get Sebastian to do something! Order him to get those men away from my fami- I mean, the troupe!"

Hesitating for a moment, Ciel sighed with a nod - seeing that Jim wouldn't take no for an answer - and said, "Sebastian, I order you to get those men away from the troupe...but please don't make a scene in front of all of these people."

"Yes, my Lord." Sebastian bowed, resting a hand on his chest before turning to the unsavoury scene.

Jim watched on with a worried gaze as the butler followed through with his orders and saved the troupe without further delay.

* * *

As Sebastian spoke to Joker, Ciel made his way forward towards them and Jim found himself following along as they walked within earshot. "I was simply given the order by my young Master."

"Tch. It was Jim who begged me to give the order." Ciel spoke up, now standing beside his butler.

Chuckling, the man clad in black nodded. "Well I do suppose it _was _Mister Macken who brought the situation to our attention."

It was at that moment that all the attention was turned to Jim, and he felt himself wanting to disappear.

After a short exchange of words, both groups said their goodbyes and the three were off on their way back down the street.

Jim cursed himself for the way he acted with the troupe; he hated how it felt so foreign to him. Those were the people who had saved his life, the people he had grown to love as a family-

_No._

They weren't his family anymore. They couldn't be. If he allowed himself to think of them as family, he would long to be with them again...yet that was a burden which he simply could not put on their shoulders - especially now, given their current situation.

Jim was pulled from his thoughts as the young Earl emitted a groan.

"But it's only the truth, young Master. I never took you for the generous type." Sebastian smirked. "That was an awful lot of money to give a troupe of performers."

"I didn't want to give them _any_ money." Ciel glowered. "I only did it because Jim was so upset about their current situation." Turning to look at the blonde, the Phantomhive boy asked, "Are you satisfied now?"

"Huh?" Jim asked, confused.

"So you won't be moping as much about them anymore?" Ciel's eyes were locked on the icy blues.

Feeling a pang shoot through him, Jim narrowed his eyes. "I won't _mope_ anymore if it bothers you that much." Rolling his eyes, the boy walked ahead.

The ride back to the manor was quiet. The two boys looked out of their respective windows without a word, listening to the sound of the horses' hooves hitting the ground. They refused to look at each other, both presuming that the other was angry with them. However, that was true for one of the two as Jim was fuming...how _dare_ Ciel say such a thing to him with such seriousness. He was insensitive and arrogant-

"I'm sorry."

Jim blinked, surprised by the young Earl's words. Never in a million years had he expected to hear those words from the Phantomhive boy of all people. "_What_?"

"I'm sorry for what I said. It was rude and uncalled for." Ciel muttered, his words obviously damaging his pride. He would have rather had to deal with that annoying Shinigami and his friends in that moment.

"Uh..._really_?" The Macken boy's eyes were wide; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"_Yes_." The young Earl sighed. "I hope you can accept my apology. I really wish I could take back what I said, Jim...I really do."

"I accept your apology, Ciel. Thank you." Jim found himself smiling.

He could see a ghost of a smile grace the young Earl's features.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop in front of the manor, and the boys both waited for Sebastian to open the carriage door.

"We need to go investigate for a new case. We will be back by dinner time." Ciel said as they waited.

"But wasn't the whole reason you allowed me to live with you was so I could aid you in cases?" Jim rose an eyebrow.

"I figured that we should start you off on a less involved case. This could be dangerous, and I do _not_ \- under any circumstances - want you to get hurt." The Earl responded.

Pouting, the boy looked at Ciel with a hurt expression.

"Jim." Sighing, the Phantomhive boy leaned forward and pressed his lips to the Macken boy's. They stayed there for a moment, taking each other in and savouring the moment. When Ciel pulled away, he looked at the boy. "I _promise_ that you will be able to help me next time." He spoke with a genuine tone.

The carriage door opened, and the butler stepped to the side to allow the Macken boy to step out.

Sighing, Jim nodded. "Fair enough." He responded before standing and making his way out of the carriage. The blonde walked up the steps, before turning to watch as the carriage made its way from the manor. He waited until it was out of sight before making his way into the estate.

"Mister Jim! How was your outing?" Mey-Rin was there to greet him at the door.

"It was fine." The blonde nodded with a forced smile. "Ciel and Sebastian are out investigating. They said that they will be back in time for dinner."

"Thank you very much, Mister Jim! Is there anything I can do for you?" The maid asked.

Shaking his head, the boy responded with, "I'm fine, but thank you for asking. I think I will just relax up in my bedroom."

"Of course! Let me know if you need anything." With a smile, the young woman bowed.

Making his way up the stairs, Jim felt the emotions from earlier that day overcome him once again. Seeing the troupe like that was so...awful. As the tears blurred his vision, Jim kept his head down in case he ran into another servant. This proved to only make the chance of that worse, as shortly after doing so, he felt himself collide with something and fell backwards, collapsing to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Jim felt his blood run cold as he heard the familiar voice, and then saw the familiar hand reach out. Forcing himself to take it, he pulled himself up and looked up at the person who had aided him.

_Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later._

"Are you alright, Jim?" Thomas asked, his kind, green eyes filled with concern.

"I'm...fine." Sighing, the boy wiped his eyes.

Silence fell amongst them in that moment as they both stared at each other.

Jim hadn't looked into those eyes for a long time.

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you..." Thomas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for selling you out, I just-"

Holding his hand up, the blonde shook his head. "There's no need for an apology. Everything worked out in the end, and it was partially because of you." With a smile, the boy said, "I've been meaning to _thank_ you." He tried to keep the conversation lighthearted, because if he didn't...he would be sure to burst into tears.

With a shocked expression, the brown haired young man stared at Jim in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Of course." The Macken boy nodded. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"What I did. I mean, I basically told the young Master and Mister Sebastian that it was you and that troupe of performers." Thomas sighed.

"Who could blame you?" Jim found himself laughing. "Ciel and Sebastian are both _very_ intimidating."

"You really aren't mad at me?"

"I promise I'm not."

"I just thought...that since you have been avoiding me since you got here...that maybe-"

"Not at all." Jim shook his head, cutting the other off mid-sentence.

"I'm glad." Thomas smiled. "I've really missed you, you know?"

"I have too. I couldn't possibly thank you enough for all those times back at the Trancy manor and-"

"There's no need for any thanks, Jim. I did it because I cared...I still care." Without any warning, arms snaked around Jim and pulled him close into an intimate embrace.

Emotions flooded the boy as the familiar friendly scent washed over him. He was brought back to all those times where he would run into those same arms for comfort after he was used and abused. Thomas had protected him, had saved him so many times from taking his own life. However, as soon as the young man leaned in, Jim forced himself from those arms. "I can't." He choked out, his hands shaking as those memories were brought back. He wanted to allow himself to fall into that comforting embrace once more, but it felt..._wrong_. Jim felt as though it would go against everything he had with Ciel.

"So it's true, huh?" Thomas slouched his shoulders, a defeated expression on his face. "You're with Phantomhive?"

The question hit the boy like a ton of bricks. "H-How did-"

"The servants have been talking. It's quite easy to put two and two together, especially because of how the young Master treats you."

"I-I'm sorry..."

Thomas' eyes widened. "There's no need to be sorry. It's a disappointment, yes, but I'd rather see your happiness above all else. If he makes you happy, then so be it." When Jim didn't respond, the young man chimed in once more. "Let's both agree to keep our past relationship from the young Master."

Looking up, the Macken boy choked out a weak, "Wh-What...?"

Could he really keep that from Ciel?

"It could cause tension between everyone. I may even be thrown back out onto the street if the young Master thinks that there are still feelings between us."

"I...suppose your right." Jim nodded after some hesitation.

"I'm glad you think so." Holding out his hand, Thomas looked at the blonde.

Shakily reaching out to take the hand, - the same, warm hand that he had become so accustomed to during his time at the Trancy manor - the Macken boy gave it a firm shake.

"Now, would you like to see something I've been working on with Finny for you?" Thomas offered a kind smile, gently squeezing the blonde's hand.

Jim found himself nodding as he was led out of the manor. They made their way to the back of the estate and turned, making their way towards the garden. Once there, Thomas spoke again, "Okay, close your eyes. We're getting close and I want you to see the whole thing all at once."

Doing as he was told, the Macken boy felt himself being led along once again. It took only a few seconds but the anticipation made it seem longer.

Silence followed once Thomas stopped walking, and Jim waited to be told to open his eyes.

"You can open them now, Jim." Thomas' calm voice filled the air around the boy, and as soon as he opened his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. Tears blurred his vision and he frantically tried to wipe them away so he could see better.

A garden of bluebells filled the patch of land in front of him, and there was no doubt in his mind that both Thomas _and_ Finny had worked hard on it.

"We figured that since you're part of the family now, you deserve a place you can come to and have peace of mind." Thomas smiled as the boy looked at him with a teary gaze.

_Family?_

"Th-Thank you so much..."

* * *

It was dark by the time Ciel and Sebastian got back.

The Phantomhive boy wanted nothing but to go to sleep and forget about the gruesome crime scene he had to investigate that day. It was terrible. A serial killer who targeted young boys was on the loose, and it seemed that his next target was Ciel Phantomhive himself, given the clues they had found. There had also been signs of a certain _type_ of abuse that Her Majesty had mentioned in her letter, and he didn't want Jim to have to go through that. The wounds were still too fresh, given the way the blonde would always run from him on _those_ nights.

Ciel allowed Sebastian to take his jacket and tiredly made his way up the stairs, only perking up when he heard Jim's voice coming from the library. He made his way towards the entrance of the room and peered in through the cracked door.

"Ji-" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that both Jim and Thomas were sitting on the old sofa together, talking like old friends. In his hands, Jim clutched a vase filled with bluebells. His icy blue eyes were shining, - even in the dim light - and he had a genuine smile on his face. Then, turning in the direction in which he heard the familiar voice, Jim jumped up from the couch. "Ciel!" Running over to the young Earl, the blonde excitedly held up the vase with the bluebells inside. "You _have_ to see what Thomas and Finnian did for me! Come on!" Giggling, Jim took the slate-haired boy's hand and pulled him along down the hallway.

Sebastian smirked - amused - as they ran past him and out of the manor.

Ciel was quite tired, but he was surprised to see Jim so happy, and he had to confess to himself that it made him happy as well.

"Look!" Jim pointed in front of him.

Turning to look, Ciel saw a garden of bluebells. He realized that by the excitement that the blonde was exhibiting, that bluebells must hold a memory dear to him. He felt a smile start to creep across his own face as Jim turned to him with the same, excited grin on his face.

Moving forward, the Phantomhive boy gently took the flower-filled vase and set it on the ground. He then pulled his companion close into an embrace and slowly pushed the blonde locks behind his ear before whispering, "I'm glad you worked things out with Thomas, and it makes me so happy to see you happy."

Moving back, Ciel pulled Jim closer and pressed his lips to the blonde's.

* * *

The next day, Lady Elizabeth had decided to visit the manor to spend the day with Ciel. She was still completely oblivious to the fact that Jim was now in the picture, and it was obvious to the Macken boy that she wasn't going to find out anytime soon.

Jim watched from a distance as the two spent their day together, becoming increasingly aggravated as their little_ visit_ went on. His emotions ran high as he watched Elizabeth giggle and hang all over Ciel. This behaviour was normal for her, but Jim almost felt a sense of betrayal because the young Earl allowed it to go on.

Once he couldn't stand to watch the display any longer, Jim made his way to the servants' quarters to locate Thomas.

The young man was busy in the kitchen - helping alongside Bard and keeping him out of trouble - when Jim finally found him.

"Mister Jim!" Bard smiled, looking up from a firearm that he was tampering with. "How've ya been?!"

"I've been alright." The blonde nodded with a forced smile, lying through his teeth as images of Ciel and Elizabeth flashed through his mind. "I was wondering if I could talk to Thomas for just a moment? Alone, preferably."

"Of course!" He turned to Thomas and said, "Go on." Before nodding his head in the direction of the exit to the kitchen.

Thomas moved from behind the counter and made his way out of the kitchen, followed by Jim.

"What is it?" The brown haired man asked as soon as they were out in the hallway.

"Can you take me into town...please?" Jim practically begged, his pleading, icy blues staring into the green orbs.

"Why?" Thomas tilted his head slightly, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Because I can't stand to see Ciel and..._her_ together." The Macken boy muttered, lowering his gaze as he clenched his fists at his sides.

After some hesitation, the young man nodded with a sigh. "Let's go."

The pair snuck out of the manor and past Sebastian, going around the back in hopes that they wouldn't be spotted, caught, and/or questioned.

"We'll have to walk. If one of the carriages or horses are missing, we'll be caught for sure." Thomas explained, looking down at the boy.

"I know." Jim sighed. "So how are we going to get on the path without being seen?"

"We'll have to take a hike through the forest." The brown haired man chuckled, looking at the disgusted expression that had formed on the blonde boy's face. "Ah c'mon...I know that peasant boy Jim's still inside there somewhere." He playfully jabbed his friend with his elbow.

"Let's just go." Jim rolled his eyes.

From the window, Sebastian watched as the two boys made their way into the forest. He knew that Thomas was more than capable of navigating through the woods, and he knew that Jim despised the sight of Lady Elizabeth with his young Master...so in the end, he decided to keep their little trip a secret.

He just hoped that they'd be back before dinner time.

* * *

After walking around for a good hour, Jim decided that he would find no peace of mind. Everywhere he went wasn't good enough and he just couldn't stop thinking about Ciel and Elizabeth.

That's when he got desperate.

After checking their usual performing spot and finding nothing, Jim pulled Thomas along to the old circus grounds. He had decided that in order to get his mind off of the two, he would visit the troupe.

Jim led Thomas through the forested area and down the pathway that led to the circus grounds, only stopping when he began to hear voices. Picking up the pace again, the blonde made his way towards the centre of the grounds and spotted the entire troupe there, practicing and conversing amongst one another.

When the pair came into view, Dagger turned and jumped up with an excited expression on his face. "Blondie! How've ya been?!"

"It's only been a day since we last saw each other." Jim chuckled softly, looking at the knife thrower.

Yes, maybe he could just throw all of his problems out the window - if even for just one day - and talk to the troupe like old times.

"What brings ye 'ere, Blondie?" Joker walked up behind Dagger, a big smile on his face.

"We were in the area and decided to stop by for a visit. This is my old friend, Thomas Smith." The Macken boy gestured to the taller young man beside him.

"Nice t' meet ya!" Joker held out his hand and Thomas took it, giving it a firm shake with a smile gracing his features. "Any friend o' Blondie's is a friend of ours!"

"It's nice to meet you as well, Mister...uh..."

"Joker." The performer responded with a grin. "Lemme introduce ye t' our family before we go any further." Resting his hand on Dagger's shoulder, he said, "This be me lil' Bro, Dagger. He be the best knife thrower around." Then, turning to look at the others, Joker began to list them off one by one. "The big guy over there be our Bro, Jumbo, n' the lil' brunette beside 'im be Doll, our lil' Sis. The two doin' the acrobatics be our brother n' sister, Peter n' Wendy, n' the man with the snakes be Snake."

It took Thomas a moment to remember the names, mentally listing them off once more to make sure he knew them all.

"Ye be fergettin' me, Big Bro." Beast exited the tent on the right of the group, chuckling as she made her way towards Thomas. Holding out a gloved hand, she offered a smile. "I'm Beast, the animal tamer of this 'ere troupe."

Jim instantly noticed the look of awe that crossed Thomas' face as he shook Beast's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, my lady."

"Oh...ye be a gentleman, eh?" Beast smirked. "We ain't got many o' those around 'ere."

"'Ey!" Both Joker and Dagger shouted in unison.

Beast giggled, looking up at Thomas. "T'is very nice t' meetcha, it is."

"So you're an animal tamer?" The young man asked with a smile.

"Yep! Best in the biz." Beast smiled proudly. "I got a beautiful tigress named Betty out back if ye wanna see 'er."

"Of course!"

Jim watched as the two made their way down the dirt path.

"They sure got along well." Joker chuckled before turning to look at Dagger, who's face was beet red and held an expression of pure rage.

"What the-!" The knife thrower's eyes were wide.

Chuckling, Joker wrapped an arm around the young man's shoulders. "Dontcha worry, Bro. They're just goin' t' look at Betty."

Shrugging out of the man's grasp, Dagger stomped on after the two as he pulled the knives from his waistband.

Giving Jim an apologetic look, Joker followed after the knife thrower while shouting at him to leave the two alone.

Chuckling to himself, Jim turned around to go to greet the others, but fell backwards in surprise as he came face to face with Doll. "Don't scare me like that!" Jim laughed, holding a hand over his heart as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Jim!" Doll knelt down, an apologetic look in her face as she held her hand out for him to take.

Once back up on his feet, the blonde smiled. "Don't worry about it."

A small smile graced the girl's features. "So what brings ye 'ere today?"

"We were in town and decided to stop by."

"'We'?" She tilted her head.

"My friend Thomas came with me." Jim responded with a smile. "He's off with Beast right now."

"Ahh, well c'mon, let's go see the others!" Doll smiled, pulling the boy along with her.

As the visit went on, Jim found that he forgot all about Ciel and Elizabeth. He spent the day with his old family, talking and laughing like old times. The tension between him and Doll seemed to dissipate, and he found himself even enjoying _Peter's_ company.

It was dark by the time Thomas returned and told Jim that they should be heading off.

After saying their farewells, they made their way through town and back to the forest.

"So...you and Beast, yeah?" Jim smirked, looking up at Thomas and holding a lantern that Joker had given them so they would be able to see through the dark. "Did you _'__catch her attention'_?"

The servant blushed, turning his gaze from the Macken boy with a sigh. "I tried to." He confessed.

"Ha! I knew it!" The blonde laughed, wide-eyed as he pointed at his friend. "I knew you were more of a man then you initially let on!"

"What is that even supposed to _mean_?" Thomas turned to look at Jim. However, when the blonde merely shrugged, the young man sighed as he shook his head once again. "I tried...but it wasn't returned. She's smitten with that 'Joker' guy."

"I know." Jim nodded with a sigh. "He's never returned the affection, but she keeps going after him."

"He's hurting her greatly but she just won't let go of him. It's upsetting." Thomas sounded genuinely concerned for Beast. "If I...if I was that man, I'd return her feelings in a heartbeat. I'd never make her suffer like he does and I'd-" Catching himself, the young man looked down, clenching his hands into fists tightly as he walked.

Jim was certainly not surprised by the statement, he knew that Thomas had always been like that. He had always been the type of person to fall in love within seconds of meeting someone, and the type that always wanted to protect that said someone with everything he had.

That's how their past relationship had formed.

_If only she heard those words first hand, Thomas..._

* * *

"Where have you two been?" Sebastian spoke in a hushed tone as he opened the door in the kitchen that led outside.

"We went to town." Jim responded with his arms crossed. "I figured that I might as well make the most of my day and left with Thomas. I didn't really fancy sitting around waiting for _her_ to leave."

Sighing, the butler nodded. "I understand, Mister Macken. Just please _tell me_ next time. I have kept your whereabouts a secret from the young Master so he wouldn't worry. He thinks that you have been holed up in your room all day; I even told him that you refused to come down for dinner on account of Lady Elizabeth...so please-"

Sebastian watched as the blonde boy rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother." He smirked.

"I just don't want the young Master to have to worry about you even more than he already does." The butler explained in a serious tone, his eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"I understand." Jim pushed passed Sebastian and made his way up the stairs.

Thomas was left to speak with the butler and explained in greater detail where they had been all day.

* * *

Jim slowly opened the door to Ciel's room and snuck inside quietly. He climbed onto the bed behind the Phantomhive boy, and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek before snuggling close to him with his arm over the boy.

The body beside him stirred before emitting a sleepy groan. Turning over to look at his current bedmate, his eyes went wide. "Jim...?" He spoke sleepily, but was pleased to see that Jim had been the one to initiate affection towards him.

"Sorry for making you worry..." Jim looked into his companion's eyes. "It just...really upsets me to see you with her."

"No, no. It isn't your fault...I know it upsets you. I can understand why you stayed away today." Ciel turned over, pulling the blonde into an embrace.

"I went into town today with Thomas. I couldn't bear to stay and watch you two..." Jim sighed, yet he didn't pull from the other's grasp. "It made me so jealous..." He confessed.

"But Jim, you shouldn't feel jealous at all...because I chose you over Elizabeth." Ciel responded, looking at his companion with concern.

"I refuse to accept that as an adequate response, Phantomhive. Did you really _choose_ me? Or am I just on the side for whenever you need a break from _her_? It has come to the point where you'll have to choose: it's either me or _her_." With that, Jim stood up and left the room...left Ciel to think about his options.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

**I hope the amount of my OC in this chapter didn't bother any of you. I promise it was only for this chapter because I wanted Jim to have some closure with him since he was part of his past. I tried my best to make him likeable, but I'm not the best with OCs when it comes to writing fanfiction. As for Thomas and Beast - I'm not sure if that'll just be for this chapter. I have the whole thing outlined, but that part was written on a whim because I wanted to show more of Thomas' character. He's pretty much the sweetest guy you'd ever meet, and usually gravitates towards those who need someone to care for them or show them that they are worth more than they think they are.**

**So that brings me to the question: What do you guys want to see? Do you think that Beast has a chance with Joker or should she start looking elsewhere? Would Dagger be an option? Or do you guys think that Thomas could take better care of her? ****Oh, and would you like me to draw a picture of him so you can see what he looks like?**

**I'd love to hear your input because you all mean so much to me.**

**Also, dID ANYONE SEE CIEL'S APOLOGY COMING? I thought that was so funny...but it does show _just how much_ he truly cares for Jim.**

**There will also _definitely _be interaction with Jim and Lizzie in future chapters, so get ready for that.**

**As always, you can find me on Instagram at /aszirialck.**

**Thank you all for the follows, favourites, and OF COURSE reviews. You guys seriously don't know how much I love reading your reviews. I'm so happy you love my trashy little story.**

**Until next time,**

**~ Aszii**


	5. Chapter Four: A Bittersweet Farewell

The kid was nice, he really was...but Beast couldn't betray Joker like that.

She opened her eyes, the sound of birds chirping and the sunlight beaming through her tent's entrance had woken her up. Yawning, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, stretching before looking down at her prosthetic leg that peered out from under her nightgown.

Yes, she couldn't betray Joker like that...they had been through far too much already.

In the next tent over, Joker was already awake and ready to start the day. He was fixing the yellow bow around his neck and staring at his reflection in the mirror; a picture of both him and Kelvin together rested on the corner of his vanity's mirror, cleverly concealed with a makeup case. No one knew that Joker still had that photo, because they all assumed that he had gotten rid of everything related to the hated man.

However, that wasn't the case at all, for the young man couldn't let go of the man that had saved him, that gave him and his family a second chance at life. He had been the best father in the world before he changed...in fact, the only thing wrong with him was his obsession with Ciel and what he did to the other children.

_Kelvin_ wasn't the one who had made the prosthetics out of their friends' bones...

Yes, Doc had been the _real_ monster.

He felt tears burn in his eyes as he looked at the photo.

Across from Joker's tent was Peter and Wendy's. The the pair was getting ready for the day and currently, Peter was helping Wendy with her dress while she put her hair up.

"Ye've gotta admit, Peter. It was nice t' see Jim again." The woman spoke softly, knowing that her companion was easy to anger.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." He rolled his eyes and stepped away from her. "I finished with yer dress."

"Thanks." She smiled. "Do ye need any 'elp?"

"Nah." Peter shook his head. "I'm jus' about finished."

Wendy nodded, then was silent for a moment before tilting her head. "Do ye 'ere that?" She asked.

"'Ere what?" The short man asked.

"Jumbo's playin' 'is harmonica again. T'is been awhile since he's played it, it has."

Next to the pair was Jumbo's tent. The man had been up for quite some time and was now playing his harmonica, eyes closed and foot gently tapping out the beat.

_Tom he was the pipers son...  
__He learnt to play when he was young...  
__And all the tune that he could play...  
__Was 'over the hills and far away'...  
Over the hills and a great way off...  
The wind shall blow my top-knot off..._

He hadn't played the harmonica in the longest time, but Jim's visit the previous day had sparked something inside of him and he just had to pick the tiny instrument up again.

On the other side of Jumbo's tent was Dagger's.

The knife thrower looked at his now broken practice board; he had pierced the board so hard with each and every throw that it ended up splitting in half.

He clenched his teeth, thinking about how happy Beast had been whilst talking to Thomas. Why couldn't she be happy around him? Didn't she see how _hard_ he was trying?

Sighing, Dagger left the tent and made his way to the old mess hall.

Doll, on the other hand, was extremely happy. She was so grateful that she had the opportunity to spend the previous day with Jim and couldn't wait to see him again.

As she skipped out of the tent, she bid good morning to Snake, who she then walked to breakfast with.

* * *

After breakfast, the troupe did some practice before they started their short journey into the town to perform. They usually practiced alone, not wanting to interfere with the other acts and wanting to keep themselves focused while they did so.

So that's why it was a complete surprise when Joker came up behind Beast while she was practicing with Betty, and clasped his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" He spoke with a smirk into her ear.

"What're ye doin', ye fool?" The animal tamer growled and pulled away from the young man, spinning around to face him. She couldn't say that she didn't feel slightly flustered and surprised by the action, but maybe that was just the old Joker was showing himself again.

"I was just wantin' t' talk t' ye, Sis." Joker smiled, crossing his arms in front of him.

"What d' ye need? I be needin' t' practice." Beast rested a hand on her hip, her whip clutched tightly within her fist.

"I've been thinkin', n' I think that it'd be best if ye didn't talk t' outsiders no more...'specially men." Joker's tone had a seriousness to it now, as his eyes bore deep into hers.

"N' why's that?" She narrowed her eyes, anger starting to boil inside of her. How dare he tell her what to do. Who did he think he was?! That-

"It be botherin' Dagger." Joker sighed. "He don't even 'ave a board t' practice on anymore 'cos he ruined 'is other one. I found it split in half on the ground in 'is tent."

"N' why should that bother me? He's always been like that...ye should know that better than anyone!" Beast was practically shouting now.

The man sighed once more, raising his gaze to meet hers. "Why don't ye just go with him?"

"Wh-What're ye sayin'?! Joker I-"

"I can't ever be the man ye need."

"Bloody hell! Where's this comin' from, Joker?!" Beast was livid by that point, not understanding at all where this had come from.

Joker couldn't find the words to formulate what he was feeling inside, so instead, he settled on, "Jus'...jus' take it easy with men, okay?"

"Ye no good _bastard_!" She shouted, lunging forward as she knocked him to the ground. She could tell she hit a nerve with him, seeing how his eyes filled with pain as he looked away. "Yer talkin' t' me like I be some trollop! I'd best be smackin' ye upside the head, ye-"

Beast shouted and cursed as she was lifted off of Joker by strong arms that hooked under her own.

"Beast, _stop it_." Jumbo's gentle voice filled her ringing ears.

"Didya 'ere what he said t' me?!" The woman turned around to gaze at the man who held her off the ground - she was furious, rage clearly shown on her face. Her hair was disheveled and she was breathing heavily; she looked more like a feral cat than a human in that moment.

"Yes...but I'm sure he didn't mean it the way you took it." Jumbo sighed, and lowered her back onto her feet but still held her.

Beast clenched her fists. "But-"

"You have to save your energy, Sister." The man reminded her.

The woman hesitated, before unclenching her fists. "You're right..." She nodded with a sigh. "You're right..."

When he was sure that Beast wouldn't lash out anymore, Jumbo let go of her and walked over to Joker. He held out his hand and helped him up. "You and I have got a side job today. We'd best be going to town if we want to make it back in time to change into our work clothes." He said and the young man nodded.

Both Jumbo and Joker had been working odd jobs in order to make a little bit of extra money for the troupe. Performing on the streets was not reliable enough, so the two had decided to look for other work on the side. The money from those jobs still wasn't anywhere near enough to feed everyone, but extra money was extra money, and they needed all the money they could get.

As the two walked off, Beast sighed and turned away. She looked at Betty, before lowering her gaze...

Dagger was really that upset?

She turned to look at the younger man, who was twirling a knife around as he sat on an old bucket, his head rested on his hand and a sad expression on his face.

_Pathetic._

Beast sighed and looked away. "That was a lil' rude, Mal..." She confessed softly.

_What would be so wrong with acceptin' it...?_

No, she couldn't!

Not Dagger...not him.

Joker.

Joker was the one she needed to focus on.

* * *

The troupe made their way into town around noon and performed in their usual spot once again. Being better fed than they had been last time, they performed with their heads held high. They always found they got more of a crowd with a lively attitude, and this time they had the energy to put on the act. They performed without incident and earned a fair bit of money...and it was only when the crowd began to dissipate that the man stepped forward.

He was a man that looked to be in his sixties, with greying hair and a moustache. He had kind, hazel eyes that peered out from behind thick big-rimmed glasses, and dressed in a black waistcoat, white dress shirt, black dress pants, and a red bow tie around his neck, he looked as if he worked in a tavern. "Your performin' was wonderful, it was." His voice was gruff but kind, and he unloaded coins upon coins into the box that the troupe had for tips. He then walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving the troupe in complete shock with their jaws dropped.

"How much did he give us?!" Wendy was practically shrieking as she bounded towards the box, Peter following behind her as she did so.

"That looked like an awful lot..." Beast crossed her arms, almost pitying the old man for giving _them_ so much.

"This is enough t' feed us fer a good few days without performin'!" Peter's eyes were wide as he bent to recount the money.

"I've seen 'im before." Dagger spoke softly, looking in the direction that the man had went. "He watches us perform a lot, but hasn't ever given us a tip."

"I've too." Joker nodded. "He's always at the back. I've seen 'im at almost every show."

"Maybe he felt bad he never tipped us before, so he's givin' it all t' us now?" Doll tilted her head to the side, and Jumbo - who was standing beside her - nodded in agreement.

"But still..." The knife thrower sighed. "I sure hope he has enough fer 'imself..."

"Joker, we have to go." Jumbo announced as the clock tower was heard, striking four times.

"Alright. Let's go get changed." Joker nodded, and they began their traverse through the town and back to the circus grounds.

They passed by a carriage on their way there, and could swear that they could hear a squeal come from within - but kept on walking nonetheless.

Inside the carriage was none other than Lady Elizabeth herself, and her maid and friend, Paula.

"Oh, Paula! Did you see how _cute_ their outfits were?!" Elizabeth shrieked in excitement, trying to catch another glimpse of them. "That girl, the one with the white roses - oh, and the little brunette with that beautiful hairstyle and pink and black striped dress! The woman with the curly black hair was stunning as well, and I think she had a prosthetic leg!"

"Yes I did, my Lady." Paula nodded with a smile. "I think they're a performing troupe...did you see that tiger the large man was wheeling in the cage?"

"_What_?! Awh, no! I totally missed it!" The blonde curls bounced off of the girl's shoulders as she crossed her arms with a pout. "I was too busy looking at the beautiful costumes..."

"Oh, my Lady." The young woman laughed.

* * *

Ciel was waiting, sitting on his bed with his hands shaking ever so slightly in his lap.

He was nervous.

Last night after Jim left, he had decided that he would end things once and for all with Elizabeth. It wasn't fair to anyone to let this continue on, especially to both Lizzie and Jim.

"Ciel?"

Snapping his head up, the young Earl saw the blonde boy peering into the room.

"Come in." Ciel nodded to the boy.

Jim walked in, fidgeting with his clothing as he sat beside the Phantomhive boy on the bed. "These clothes are a pain."

The young Earl chuckled, saying, "That's because you're used to wearing peasant clothes."

The blonde huffed, crossing his arms. "They're more comfortable than _these_." He gestured to his ensemble with a sour look on his face. "These remind me of the clothes I had to wear back at the Trancy manor..." Then, thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "Okay, it's a _little_ better than those clothes."

"Need I remind you that it was _your_ choice to buy those shorts, Jim." Ciel responded, still laughing.

"Yeah, but I only got the shorts to get _your_ attention." A mischievous smirk crept across Jim's face as he leaned over, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders before pushing him down on the bed. "Did it work...?" He spoke in a breathy tone.

"J-Jim..." The Earl's eyes went wide. "E-Elizabeth is coming and-"

"Shh..." The blonde pressed his lips to his companion's.

Ciel knew that he needed to get Jim off of him. He didn't understand why the Macken boy was suddenly showing such intimate affection. Was it because he felt like he had to...?

Jim shrugged out of the purple frock coat, the smirk still present as he gazed down at the Earl.

Then his icy blue eyes widened. "I-I..." The memories rushed back to him.

All those times with that Earl.

The bruising kisses.

The unwanted touches.

"I'm sorry, Ciel...I just can't..." Tears instantly rushed down Jim's face as he pulled away, lowering his head into his palms. "I-I tried to...but I can't!"

"No...Jim, don't worry." Ciel sat up, his body still hot from the previous actions as he pulled the boy into his arms.

"I-I don't know why I can't...I-I mean it was so easy before...so easy when I was with him, but now-"

"Shh..." The Earl shushed Jim comfortingly, pulling his handkerchief out before tilting the blonde's head up and gently wiping the tears that had fallen onto his cheeks.

"Why can't I just forget?!" He cried out in frustration. "That bloody pervert is dead, but he's still ruling over me! I-I'm still Alois Trancy...I-I haven't changed...I'm still that bloody _whore_, so w-why can't I just-"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about yourself like that, Jim." Ciel's eyes locked onto the pained icy blues. "You aren't a whore, and you never have been. You had to do that to _survive_. It damaged you, so of _course_ you're still uncomfortable when it comes to intimate situations. You are not Alois Trancy anymore, you are Jim Macken."

"That's just as bad!" He shouted. "Jim Macken..." He chuckled. "He's no better than that _whore_...he stole from innocent people after his parents died, he _wanted_ to see suffering and death to all those villagers who wronged him...and he got his wish...but what was the price of that?! His own brother's life!"

"J-Jim...wh-"

There was a knock on the door, and Sebastian peered in. "Young Master? Lady Elizabeth is here...oh, would you like for me to tell her you need a few moments?"

"No, we're fine!" Jim shook his head with a smile, standing up.

Ciel's mind was racing with the new information as he followed behind Jim and Sebastian. Perhaps there was more to the Macken boy than he had initially let on, for there was obviously a troubling past before the Trancy incident.

"Ciel!" Elizabeth shouted as the Earl made his way down the stairs, before turning her gaze to the unfamiliar blonde boy beside him. "Oh! Is this Jim?" She smiled.

As the two stopped in front of her, Ciel nodded. "This is Jim Macken."

"It's _so_ nice to finally meet you!" The girl smiled, holding out her hand.

"It's...nice to meet you as well." Jim felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he took Elizabeth's hand. She was so kind, sociable, and..._beautiful_. How could Ciel possibly choose him over her?

Jim was so ugly both inside and out...he was just used goods with a bad attitude.

Misreading the look on the blonde boy's face as disgust, Ciel turned to Elizabeth, saying, "Let's go to my study...I have something to talk to you about."

"Of course!" The blonde girl nodded with a wide smile.

Jim watched as the two made their way up the stairs and into the young Earl's study.

Once the door was shut, the Macken boy sat down on the stairs and waited.

* * *

Meanwhile, upstairs in the study, Ciel had taken a seat beside Elizabeth on the sofa.

"Elizabeth...this really is not easy to say, and it will come as a shock but-"

"It's about Jim, isn't it?" Elizabeth cut in, staring at him with those green eyes. Her tone wasn't at all her usual one, it was serious and void of any cheeriness. If the Phantomhive boy himself hadn't been looking straight at her, he wouldn't have believed it was her speaking.

"H-How did you..."

She smiled, taking Ciel's hand in hers. "So, what's going on?"

The young Earl had almost hoped she had already found out the nature of their relationship, but her guessing had ended there.

"Uhm, well..." The Phantomhive boy sighed. "Elizabeth, I..."

He was such a coward.

"Ciel, you can tell me anything." The blonde girl offered a smile.

"I want to end the betrothal." The sentence was spoken with no emotion whatsoever, monotone and almost bored. However, on the inside, Ciel was just about screaming. He forced himself to look into Elizabeth's pained, green eyes, before saying, "I just cannot love you romantically...you are my family, Elizabeth."

He was almost expecting the girl to start crying, or slap him, or run away in tears, but was surprised when he saw the smile cross her face.

"You love Jim, don't you?" She asked softly.

"I- yes..." Ciel confessed.

"That's...fine with me, Ciel. I just... I just want you to be happy." Elizabeth gently squeezed her cousin's hand, her green eyes clearly filled with disappointment. "I know you are picking your happiness over our parents' wishes, and that is admirable."

"R-Really?"

The Midford girl leaned forward and pressed her lips to the young Earl's cheek. "Of course...that's all I have ever wanted."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth..." Ciel could still see the pain in her eyes.

"You _should_ be sorry for not calling me Lizzie, even after I have told you to do so many times before." Elizabeth giggled.

* * *

Jim's head snapped up upon hearing the sound of the study door opening, and was surprised to see Ciel and Elizabeth walking together. He tried to quell the jealousy that had built up inside him as he saw the two together as they walked down the stairs towards him.

"Jim, you had better take good care of my cousin and never hurt him." Elizabeth spoke with a soft smile and a joking tone as she stopped in front of him.

"I-I promise." Jim nodded, shocked as he looked down at the smiling girl.

Giggling, the Midford girl stepped forward and pulled the Macken boy into a hug.

Jim instantly tensed up, his mind reeling as the girl held onto him. After looking to Ciel for reassurance, the blonde boy tentatively wrapped his arms around her.

When Elizabeth pulled away, she nodded to both of them. "It has been nice seeing you, Ciel...and it was nice to meet you as well, Jim."

The two boys watched as the girl made her way out of the manor, closing the door behind her.

Tears filled her eyes as she lowered her head, her blonde locks concealing her face.

"My Lady?" Paula asked as Elizabeth silently entered the carriage.

The girl turned to look at the young woman, saying, "Could you please ride on the front of the carriage with the coachman...? I just need a moment to myself, thank you."

"O-Of course, my Lady." The maid was concerned, but did as Elizabeth had instructed her.

* * *

"W-Wait, Lizzie!" Ciel shouted, running after the girl.

Jim followed behind the young Earl as he pulled the door open and ran out.

They watched as a clearly upset Elizabeth entered the carriage and closed the door behind her. As the carriage started moving, Jim could hear the sigh that came from Ciel.

"What happened?" The Macken boy asked.

"I'll tell you when we get inside..." The Earl kept his eyes locked on the carriage.

* * *

"W-What am I going to tell them, Paula?!" Elizabeth sobbed into her pillow, her hair sprawled out all around her.

"M-My Lady, please don't cry." Paula sighed with a frown. "Just tell them the truth...there isn't anything else you can do."

"I-I do _not_ want them going after Ciel over this, especially my brother." The blonde propped herself up on her arms, looking at her maid.

"Then let them know that." The young woman offered a small smile, before leaning over to wipe Elizabeth's tears. "He wouldn't go against your wishes."

With a nod and a small, thankful smile, Elizabeth stood from the bed and went over to her vanity. "I just need to fix up a bit and then I'll go to dinner."

Paula nodded with a smile, still feeling terrible for her Lady.

* * *

"The engagement is off." Elizabeth said, looking down at her plate as she twirled her fork around. "Ciel doesn't want to get married. He doesn't love me as anything but family, and I accept that."

"W-What?!" Her father, Alexis sputtered, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Is that a joke...?" Her mother, Francis Midford rose an eyebrow.

"I don't really see what the issue is." Her brother, Edward scoffed.

"He doesn't feel any love towards me except for as family. He said that he just couldn't go through with it." The Midford girl sighed.

"Well then...we'll need to contact the other noble families and find you a suitable match." Her mother sounded annoyed, as if that had inconvenienced her.

"I apologize, I am not hungry...I think I may be falling ill so...so I think I will retire to my chambers now." Elizabeth stood from the table, shooting venomous a look at her brother. "And no, it isn't because of Ciel. I want you to leave him alone from now on, understand?"

Edward nodded and watched as his sister leave the dining room.

The tears fell once again as Elizabeth made her way back up to her bedroom.

This was one night she would not easily forget.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

**If this one seemed a bit rushed, it's because it was. I am going to be camping for a week and wanted to get an update out before I left. I didn't have time to properly edit it, so if there are any errors, I apologize.**

**Anyway, in this chapter I wanted to focus on ending the relationship between Ciel and Lizzie. Now, I know some of you may think that she was a bit OOC, but I am going off of the 'manga' Elizabeth (if you will). I think that in any situation, Elizabeth would put Ciel's happiness above her own, no matter what...and that's because she cares greatly for him. Anyone who has read the manga would know that Elizabeth's bubbly and innocent nature is actually somewhat of an act, and that is because she doesn't want to appear as a 'strong woman' in front of Ciel. Everything she does is for Ciel, and that's why I think this chapter is more of an _insight_ to her character than anything else.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry for such a crap chapter - but I really wanted to update before I went away.**

**Follows, favourites, and _of course_ your wonderful reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Until next time,**

**~ Aszii**


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